Colorado Springs, Colo. (February 4, 2009)—The 2009-10 USA Cycling Junior, U23 & Elite Road National Championships have been awarded to the city of Bend, Ore., the national governing body announced today.
The announcement comes six weeks after the cycling-friendly community was also awarded the next two editions of the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships.
The dates for the 2009 USA Cycling Junior, U23 & Elite Road National Championships will be July 28 through Aug. 2.
Since the Junior, U23 and Elite fields were combined into one national championship event in 2005, the 2009 edition marks the event’s first visit to the Pacific Northwest. Previous hosts include Anaheim, Calif. (2008), Seven Springs Resort in Champion, Pa. (2006-07) and Park City, Utah (2005). The six-day event will host approximately 1,000 competitive cyclists as they compete for national titles in three different disciplines of road racing – the individual time trial, road race and criterium.
“Bend is a destination for both recreational and competitive cycling, and we’re excited to bring another national championship to Oregon,” commented USA Cycling chief executive officer Steve Johnson. “Bend’s long tradition of community-wide support and passion for cycling convinced us to award them two national championships in the same year.”
Chad Sperry, longtime race director for national-caliber races such as the Cascade Cycling Classic, the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic and the Tour of Utah, will serve as race director for the national championships. Also, the national championships’ place on the calendar creates a natural synergy for elite men and women as the 2009 Cascade Cycling Classic – a National Racing Calendar event – will occur in Bend, July 22-26.
“Destination sporting events like USA Cycling’s road national championships are a great way to increase awareness of Bend, with the added value of providing a significant economic boost to the community at the same time,” said Drew Mahalic, executive director of the Oregon Sports Authority. “Bringing events like this to Oregon is a great example of how tourism through sports can be used as an outstanding form of economic development during challenging times.”
2009 USA Cycling National Championship Dates & Locations:
*All Dates and Locations Subject to Change
March 21: USA Cycling BMX National Championships – Desoto, Texas
May 8-10: USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships – Fort Collins, Colo.
June 28 – July 4: USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships – Louisville, Ky.
July 2-5: USA Cycling Junior Track National Championships – Carson, Calif.
July 4: USA Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships – Breckenridge, Colo.
July 28 - Aug. 2: USA Cycling Junior, U23 & Elite Road National Championships – Bend, Ore.
July 16-19: USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships – Granby, Colo.
July 28 - Aug. 2: USA Cycling Junior, U23 & Elite Road National Championships – Bend, Ore.
July 31: USA Cycling Tandem Sprint Championships – Trexlertown, Pa.
Aug. 15-16: USA Cycling Elite & Professional Criterium National Championships – Downers Grove, Ill.
Aug. 18-23: USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships – Indianapolis, Ind.
Aug. 29-30: USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships – Greenville, S.C.
Sept. 24-26: USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships – Trexlertown, Pa.
Sept. 30 – Oct. 4: USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships – Carson, Calif.
Oct. 15-18: USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships – Truckee, Calif.
Oct. 24-25: USA Cycling 24 Hour Mountain Bike National Championships – Phoenix, Ariz.
Dec. 10-13: USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships – Bend, Ore.
Date TBD: USA Cycling International Omnium National Championships – Location TBD
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization and sanctioning body, USA Cycling consists of 64,000+ members, including 57,000 competitive cyclists, 1,500 coaches, 4,000 student-athletes, 2,200 officials, 350 professional cyclists, and 200 certified mechanics. USA Cycling also sanctions 2,500 competitive and non-competitive organized cycling events throughout the United States annually, as well as 1,800 clubs and teams. Associations of USA Cycling include the United States Cycling Federation (road, track & cyclo-cross), the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), the BMX Association, the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the United States Professional Racing Organization. USA Cycling is also responsible for the identification, development, support and promotion of American cyclists through various athletic initiatives and programs including the USA Cycling National Development Team, the USA Cycling Women’s National Team, the USA Cycling Junior Development Team, Talent Identification and Regional Development Camps, domestic and international race calendars, direct athlete funding and support programs, and educational camps and seminars. USA Cycling also fields and supports U.S. National Teams for various international events, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, Pan American Games, Continental Championship and World Cups across all levels and disciplines of competitive cycling. USA cycling further supports grass roots and locally-based initiatives through its 32 Local Associations and comprehensive network of licensed and certified coaches and officials. Additionally, USA Cycling conducts National Championship events for amateur and professional cyclists, awarding more than 600 national titles annually to men and women in junior, U23, masters, elite, professional and paralympic categories throughout the various disciplines of competitive cycling. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org. For media-related or general inquiries, please contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867 or alee@usacycling.org. 
